StoryIt has been two years since Minakata Jin went back in time to the closing days of the Tokugawa shogunate. One day, Sakamoto Ryoma arrives from Kyoto to seek Jin’s help. Ryoma says Katsu Kaishu’s mentor, Sakuma Shozan, has been attacked by a group of samurai warriors, called the Shinsengumi, and is near death. However, Sakuma survives because of Jin’s fervent treatment. As a troubled Jin worries that his treatments may change the course of history, Sakuma tells him, “Save people without hesitation!” After that, Jin who had been treating the injuries of the people, is taken away by the Shinsengumi and asked to give Saigo Kichinosuke (later known as Saigo Takamori) medical attention, but … …

Well, it’s official. Jin returns for a sequel in the same timeslot, Sundays from 9.00p.m. in spring 2011. Osawa Takao, Uchino Masaaki, Nakatani Miki, Ayase Haruka will reprise their roles. Filming will begin next February and the sequel is said to be the final installment of the story.

One of the highlights will be the assassination of Sakamoto Ryoma (Uchino Masaaki) and whether Jin (Osawa Takao) can change history and save him. Key figures in history such as Saigo Takamori, Tokugawa Yoshinobu and Princess Kazumiya, will be deeply involved with Jin and be central characters in the story. Casting for these characters are currently underway. The story will depict an Edo headed for a restoration of imperial rule.

TBS got a barrage of complaints from unhappy Japanese viewers who felt they were being set up to tune in to a sequel. Too many questions were left unresolved. At times, it seemed that the drama episodes were being stretched and played out on very little. And given that there doesn’t seem to be enough material since the manga is still in progress, I hope TBS makes good on the sequel.

It’s no secret that the 2nd season of “JIN” is one of the most anticipated dramas this spring and the hype just grew even bigger with today’s announcement that the first episode will be two hours long and that the drama is going to air in over 80 countries all over the world.

It’s the first time TBS managed to pull off such a deal with the foreign media for one of their dramas. Thanks to various popular clips from the series on streaming sites such as Youtube and the well-received and award-winning digest version of the first season that screened at an international showcase called “MIPCOM” in Cannes, France in 2010, it sparked the interest of many foreign buyers. They managed to sell the rights to the USA, various European countries such as Britain and Germany, numerous Asian countries such as South Korea and Thailand, a few countries in the Middle East such as Iran and Iraq, and also some African countries such as Egypt and Algeria. 80 countries bought the rights to the drama to air in their respective countries in total.

A couple of Asian countries already announced the start date of the second season that will presumably start off with the mentioned digest version of the first season. In Taiwan, the drama will start airing on April 23rd, Hong Kong will follow in May and South Korea in July. According to TBS most of the foreign countries will start to air it soon after the second season ended airing in Japan, thus the wait shouldn’t be too long for most of the international drama fans.

“JIN” is about a brain surgeon named Minakata Jin (Osawa Takao) who happened to travel back in time and arrived in Edo (old name of Tokyo) during the closing days of the Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the Bakumatsu years.

TBS producer Ishimaru Akihiko statement about the drama and the international deals: “It was a period where everyone was careful to live an earnest life, a beautiful time where everyone cared about each other. We are able to show foreign countries a Japan that we all can be very proud of.”

In Japan the “JIN 2″ is going to start with a 2-hour-long first episode on April 17th and will feature various familiar faces next to Osawa from the first season such as Ayase Haruka, Nakatani Miki, Uchino Masaaki and so on.

Episode 1: The hands of history now start moving again (Airs on 17 April)

Time passes … On a day, two years since Minakata Jin went back in time to the closing days of the Tokugawa shogunate in the Edo era, Jin visits Saki’s family home after noticing that she has been looking down. He is told by her older brother, Kyotaro, that their mother, Sakae has beriberi (a nervous system ailment caused by a deficiency of vitamin B1) . According to Kyotaro, Saki, who has been worried about their mother’s health, had visited the Tachibana residence a few days ago and advised Sakae to consult a doctor. However, Sakae would not even allow Saki to set foot in the Tachibana house and turned her away because she still has not forgiven Saki for breaking off her engagement. Hoping to help Sakae in some way, Jin attempts to administer treatment by making a kind of confection since she loves sweets, but … …

At that moment, Sakamoto Ryoma comes up from Kyoto to enlist Jin’s help. Katsu Kaishu’s mentor, Sakuma Shozan, had sustained injuries in an attack by the Shinsengumi and is on the verge of death. Jin goes to Kyoto with Ryoma as he agonises whether he will radically alter history by saving an important person who will have an influence on the period. There, he sees Shozan who is so seriously injured that it would be a miracle if he lives. Shozan somehow escapes death through Jin’s frantic treatment and perseverance. Then Shozan regains consciousness, and shocking words come out from his mouth … …!